How to Be a Better Teammate to Your Hockey Goalie

Your goalie may stand in the crease by themselves, but they are never supposed to play the game alone.

That’s one of the most important lessons young hockey players can learn.

In a recent episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli took lessons gathered from hundreds of hockey parents and translated them directly for the players themselves.

The message was simple:

There aren’t five skaters and a goalie on the ice. There are six players working together.

That mindset changes the way you defend, communicate, warm up, react after goals, and ultimately support one another as teammates.

And whether you’re a goalie, defenseman, winger, or center, understanding that shared responsibility can help make hockey more successful—and a lot more fun.

Goalies: You Are Not on an Island

Playing goalie comes with a unique kind of pressure.

Every mistake can feel visible. Every goal makes the scoreboard. You’re on the ice for the entire play, and sometimes it can feel like everyone is watching you when something goes wrong.

But young goalies should know something important:

People see how difficult your position is.

Parents understand it. Coaches understand it. Your teammates may understand it more than you realize.

The hockey community knows that standing in net requires courage, concentration, resilience, and the ability to reset again and again.

A goal against doesn’t erase all of that.

And it certainly doesn’t mean the goalie was the only player responsible.

A Goal Against Belongs to the Team

Think about what has to happen before a puck reaches the net.

It usually has to move through the neutral zone, enter the defensive zone, get past defenders, find a shooting lane, and ultimately reach the goalie.

That means several opportunities often existed before the shot ever happened.

Maybe a turnover occurred.

Maybe someone missed an assignment.

Maybe a defender screened the goalie.

Maybe a rebound wasn’t cleared.

Maybe the opposing player was given too much space.

The point isn’t to assign blame somewhere else.

It’s to understand shared responsibility.

The same way a great goal can involve a pass, a screen, a zone entry, and several players working together, defending should also be viewed as a team effort.

Your goalie makes saves.

But the rest of the team can help determine what kinds of saves they have to make.

Want to Help Your Goalie? Start With the Little Things

Being a supportive teammate doesn’t require some giant motivational speech.

Most of the time, it’s about doing the details correctly.

Limit quality scoring chances

Play your position. Backcheck. Stay aware of opposing players. Take away passing lanes and dangerous shooting areas.

Every shot you prevent is one your goalie doesn’t have to stop.

Clear rebounds

A goalie may make the first save, but rebounds can create some of the most dangerous opportunities in hockey.

Skaters need to recognize when the puck is loose around the crease and help get it out of danger.

Don’t screen your own goalie

Sometimes the best thing a defender can do is simply allow the goaltender to see the puck.

If your goalie is communicating with you and telling you they can’t see, listen.

Goalies often have the best view of the ice from the defensive end.

Communication matters.

Give your goalie room

Whether during a game, practice, or warm-up, be aware of where your goalie is and what they’re doing.

Part of being a good teammate is understanding what the other players around you need in order to perform.

Protecting Your Goalie Means More Than Being Physical

When hockey players hear “protect the goalie,” they sometimes immediately think about someone crashing the crease and a big scrum afterward.

But protecting your goalie is much bigger than that.

It can mean:

• Communicating clearly

• Clearing rebounds

• Giving them space

• Avoiding unnecessary screens

• Playing responsibly in the defensive zone

• Paying attention during drills

• Making smart decisions during warm-ups

Those actions may not make a highlight reel.

They do make teams better.

Never Shoot When Your Goalie’s Back Is Turned

This is one of the most important safety reminders from the episode.

Goalies have tremendous amounts of protective equipment—but that equipment is designed primarily to protect the areas facing the puck.

The back of a goalie has far less protection.

That means skaters need to be completely aware of where the goaltender is before releasing a shot.

If the goalie’s back is turned, don’t shoot.

It doesn’t matter whether you have the perfect puck sitting in front of you.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re trying to practice your shot.

Wait.

Being aware of teammates is part of being a responsible hockey player.

The Pregame Warm-Up Is Not a Skills Competition

Here’s another habit young players should understand early:

Your pregame warm-up isn’t the time to see how badly you can beat your own goalie.

Players love scoring.

They love breakaways.

They love practicing the latest move they saw an NHL superstar perform.

There’s nothing wrong with working on those skills.

But the goalie warm-up isn’t the place.

Especially in youth hockey, teams may only get a few minutes on the ice before the puck drops.

Your goalie needs that short window to:

• Feel shots hitting their equipment

• Track the puck

• Move around the crease

• Feel comfortable with their glove

• Feel shots on the blocker

• Feel pucks hit their pads

• Get mentally prepared for the game

If every player comes down on a breakaway trying to make the goalie stretch across the crease, you’re not warming them up.

You’re forcing them to compete before the game has even started.

Accuracy Doesn't Always Mean Scoring

One of the best lessons for young shooters is that warm-ups can still help you improve your shot without trying to score.

Can you deliberately hit the goalie’s blocker?

Can you put the puck into their glove?

Can you send a low shot toward the pads?

That’s accuracy.

You’re still getting comfortable with your stick and the puck.

You’re still warming up your hands.

You’re still practicing placing your shot exactly where you intended.

And now you’re helping your goalie get ready too.

That’s what teamwork looks like.

Don't Accidentally Show the Other Team Your Goalie's Weaknesses

There’s another reason players should avoid turning warm-ups into a breakaway competition.

The other team is watching.

Coaches watch warm-ups.

Players watch warm-ups.

If your team spends several minutes repeatedly attacking a particular area of your goalie and scoring, you may be giving the opponent information they didn’t have before.

Warm-ups should help your team prepare—not provide a scouting session for the opposition.

Keep it simple.

Get shots through.

Hit the goalie.

Let everyone get comfortable.

Then compete when the puck actually drops.

Think of the Team as Six Players

There’s a language change that can make a big difference in how young players think about hockey.

Instead of saying:

“Five skaters and a goalie.”

Try thinking:

“Six players.”

The goalie has a different job and different equipment, but they are still part of everything the team does.

When the team succeeds, everyone contributes.

When the team struggles, everyone has an opportunity to respond.

Strong teams don’t isolate their goaltender after a mistake.

They regroup together.

They communicate.

They get ready for the next puck drop.

Goalies Need Great Teammates—and Great Teammates Support Their Goalies

Youth hockey is about far more than goals, saves, standings, or statistics.

It’s about learning how to work with other people.

That means paying attention to what your teammates need.

For a goalie, that could mean getting a rebound cleared.

It could mean hearing encouragement after a difficult goal.

It could mean having teammates who actually warm them up properly.

It could simply mean knowing the players in front of them understand that defending the net is something they all do together.

If you’re a skater, remember that the person wearing the goalie equipment is your teammate.

If you’re a goalie, remember that you don’t have to carry every goal against by yourself.

Six players defend the net. One team responds together.

The next time you step onto the ice, challenge yourself to do one thing that makes your goalie’s job easier.

Communicate.

Clear a rebound.

Give them a clear view.

Hit their pads during warm-ups instead of trying your newest breakaway move.

Those small choices help create better hockey players—and even better teammates.

Keep working, keep learning, and keep enjoying the ride. And wherever you are in your hockey journey, remember that the Our Kids Play Hockey family believes in you. Make sure you believe in yourself, too.

Listen to The Ride to the Rink for more lessons designed to help young players grow their game, strengthen their mindset, and become the kind of teammates everyone wants to play with.

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